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AUTUMN 



BY 

ARTHUK WRIGHT 

OF THE NEW YORK BAR 



PRIVATELY PRINTED 

NEW YORK 

1913 



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Copyright, 1913 
BY ARTHUK WRIGHT 



'0)CI.A34 334 3 



TO MY MOTHER 
MARY A. WRIGHT 



PREFATORY 

Bring thou, O little gift, to him 

A lighter load to bear. 
Bring thou forth in cheerful rythm 

A vision near and fair. 

A. W. 

New York 

December, 1912 



INDEX 

The Spirit of Autumn 9 

Longing- 12 

The Sea 14 

The Beach at Night 15 

A Sunset 16 

Separation . . . ... . . 18 

Ideals 19 

The Meaning of Love 20 

A Friend of My Youth 23 

An Old Lady 25 

My Gentle Friend 27 

A Life 28 

Man SO 



Sl7<? Spirit of /^utump 

The fall, the fall, 

The autumn thrall, 

Breathes through our senses once again. 

The crisp, fine air 

The sky so fair. 

Direct our steps to wood and lane. 

How different wide. 

The country-side, 

From city crowded everywhere 

With unknown souls. 

In unknown roles. 

That know us not, nor even care. 



Give me the free, 

The lofty tree, 

The fields around, and distant view ; 

And lane that winds 

Where one inclines, 

Then joy is mine with friends so true. 

I love the leaves, 

The path that weaves 

Its way beneath the stately trees. 

Let waning day 

Through branches play 

And sunset fill the jeweled frieze. 



10 



Then do I see, 

As seems to me, 

The woodland hath a soul its own. 

The branches high 

With breezes sigh, 

The leaves talk in an undertone. 

I hear a song, 

While I linger long, 

And see the gleeful leaves at play. 

As they dash and dance 

And playfully prance 

To the whirlwind's leafy roundelay. 



11 



Oft as I lie a-dreaming, 
There comes to me a song, 
A song that's filled with music, 
As angels hovering throng. 

A song that's filled with sadness, 
Yet sweet, so sweet, to me. 
That calls on me to hasten 
And join the happy free. 



12 



My heart cries out in anguish 
And craves those days of yore. 
When life was one long vision 
Of beauty, love, and lore. 



13 



The vvaves, they break and thunder 
On the beach of hard, smooth sand, 
While our thoughts grow large in wonder 
A nd try to understand. 



The vast expanse of sea. 
So great with man compared. 
Would seem eternity, 
The raison d'etre bared. 



14 



Sl7e Beac;l7 at fli^l^t 

Break the waves upon the 
Gold and clammy shore. 
Clouds obscure the moonbeam. 
Hope! hope no more. 

Wash the waves so gently, 
Murmur sad refrains. 
Night birds dart on by me. 
Loose, now the chains! 



15 



f{ Subset 

The train rides proudly onward through the fields. 
While sun and shadow deck the closing day. 
A charm, each changing aspect, nature yields 
And calls to mind the music of the lay. 

A peaceful brook lies deep in yonder vale, 
And guards the trees it feeds, with tender care 
From hand of man, whose needs at last there fail 
To mar the restful peace he fain would share. 



16 



The silent hills, majestic, crown the scene, 
And seem o'er the destiny of man preside, 
As races, ever changeful, seek to glean 
The egotistic heritage of pride. 

The sun has flashed farewell to us again. 
Or au revoir, in hope, instead we say. 
For now we see the earth in beauty wane, 
Till darkness follows on departed day. 



17 



3eparatioi) 

Away, away, she is away, 

In some far distant land. 

What can my heart's dull pain allay. 

Or help me to understand? 

The earth seems shrouded in darkness, 
And life so dead and drear. 
The soul, once buoyant, is sparkless 
And hope replaced by fear. 



18 



Ideals 

And, now, the day is quickly done. 
The sky once blue, o'erclouded, 
Is molten gold from the setting sun 
With wondrous visions crowded. 

The heart in delight gives an upward bound. 
Emotions thrill the senses. 
Ideals, elusive, at last seem found, 
And life, its full recompenses. 



19 



Sl^e /I\<^apip<$ of Coue 

We went to walk one autumn day, 
The air was cool and brisk and fresh, 
Through trees about our path did play 
A glow, pervading, purple-ish. 

The gathering dusk did all enfold, 
— Rocky glen and stately tree, 
Ourselves included, three all told, 
Transported onward merrily. 



20 



The sunset beckoned on before, 
Our path led to a knoll; above 
We saw as it were on a distant shore, 
In flaming fancies, the meaning of love. 

The color so deep in the sunset hue, 

A nearness, embracing, pervading all, 

Made all, us all, ring true, so true, 

In the deepening dusk of the sunset's thrall. 



21 



Outstretched before us lay the world, 
The miniature so proudly made, 
But every sail had now been furled, 
And toil aside its tools had laid. 

In this one moment, brief, divine. 
While even time seemed hushed in awe. 
Emblazoned large appeared the sign 
SELF-SAGRIFIGE, ETERNAL LAW. 



22 



ft priepd of (T\y Youtl? 

Oh! thou who art to me a guide, 
Wilt thou alway with me abide, 
Thy presence, be it ever near 
Oh thou, of all the dearest, dear. 

My soul's first light was seen through thee, 
Since then thou always guidest me. 
Although no more in person here, 
Oh thou, of all the dearest, dear. 



23 



For, always, do I see thy face, 
Thy smile I find in every place. 
What need I e'er hereafter fear, 
Oh thou, of all the dearest, dear? 



24 



f\T) Old Cady 

How kindly seems her wrinkled face, 
Behind the lines there lurks a charm, 
A nature sweet, not commonplace. 
To all but gentillesse disarm. 

Her life flows ever gently on, 
Approaching swiftly to its goal, 
All those held dear, departed, gone, 
Each step but leading to the shoal. 



25 



So peaceful seems her mind serene. 
It may be that the retrospect 
Forever brings into the scene 
Fond moments with sweet faces decked. 



26 



/Ay Ci<^9tl(? priepd 

Her heart is filled with celestial fire, 

Her eyes are windows to a soul 

That's brave and true, 

And gentle too, 

Attuned to wake the living lyre. 



27 



f\ Cife 

I wander o'er the steppes of fancy, 
While dreams of life now come and go, 
Of future peace and happiness, 
What will mine be of weal or woe? 

I know 'twill be of both refined, 
The woe must be a stepping-stone 
To reach beyond the weal entwined 
The fruit of what before we've sown. 



28 



No life could be but joy alone, 
For then we'd know not joy from life, 
But know we must the darker tone 
To know triumphant peace from strife. 



29 



fT\3T) 

The soul may strive 
To lift its face 
To starlit sky, 
Oh! kindred place. 

But Earth is his 
Where he must dwell 
To live his life 
At best but well. 

In portions life 
May perfect be. 
How true the best 
Is yet to be. 



30 

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